Confusion, Delusion, Misapprehension
by Comic Goldfish
Summary: While witchcraft is outlawed in the kingdom, magic is not, and with the winter solstice quickly approaching, Mathias and Alfred are sent to uncover the intentions of three powerful members of a coven through whatever means necessary; however, with each member of the two opposing groups expecting their encounters to end differently, the two must decide where their loyalties lie.
1. Chapter 1

**_He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you._**

Lukas, Arthur, and Vlad were lounging about in their living room, Lukas with a book, Arthur was silently reading a letter to himself, and Vlad was shuffling around the contents of a drawer, his objective long forgotten as he pulled out a pack of worn playing cards. He crammed everything back in and shut it, turning to the other two men.

"Hey! Let me read your cards," Vlad called, pulling out the deck and shuffling them.

Lukas and Arthur paused what they were doing and regarded him curiously. They exchanged a look, before turning back to their friend with a raised brow.

"Those are playing cards, Vlad, I don't think they'll tell you much-"

"Don't pretend you know more about my specialty than I do. You may have your spells and weird creatures, but I have my sight," he said confidently.

When neither boy approached he let out a small whine.

"I'll be quick! C'mon, it'll be fun. You can't say you're not curious!"

Lukas sighed and raised himself from his seat, trading it for the one in front of Vlad. Vlad passed the deck to him with a satisfied smile and Lukas shuffled and split it before handing it back.

"This is an unusual spread, Vlad. Why aren't you using the standard Celtic spread?" He said as Vlad began laying down the cards, face up.

"Because you have no questions you want answered, at least not about yourself, but I do!"

"What are you-"

"Voilà! The relationship spread!" He said, presenting two adjacent crosses, seven cards each with a single card between them to divide the two.

" _No_ ," Lukas said, standing to move away.

"You're lonely, aren't you?" Lukas froze. "Your brother has found himself a lover who can take care of him and protect him and he doesn't need you anymore. C'mon, Lukas, just sit down. You don't even have to take me seriously. Maybe I _can't_ do a reading with playing cards."

Lukas slowly moved back to his seat. "I never told you my brother-"

"I know," he said cheekily, continuing to lay down the cards. "You'll provide protection and balance to the relationship. As for them, they currently don't know where they stand. They've been thrown around all their life and have been able to adjust to it. Left behind, just like you, but they don't want anything. They think they're content." He pulled out a card to top off the cross and laughed, causing Lukas to look him up and down curiously.

Arthur had dropped what he was doing and seated himself beside Lukas, watching interestedly.

"The jack of clubs?" Vlad nodded.

"They're going to be your jack of clubs. Hot-headed, reckless, _athletic_ ," he said with a quirk of his lips. Lukas scoffed, although his cheeks became dusted with a light blush.

"Sounds annoying," he said, turning away. Arthur chuckled lightly.

"You are going to be," he lay down another card and laughed again. "Their queen of spades! It suits you so well!" he said excitedly, almost bouncing in his chair. When the two sent him a questioning look, he elaborated: "Cunning, witty, cold," he said through a grin.

"Sounds like a match made in hell," Lukas said, frowning minutely.

"Looks like you're not going to like him at first. Actually, he's going to annoy you and you..." he broke off setting down another card on the cross opposite Lukas's, "Oh... the eight of hearts. That's- I mean- I don't know how it would fit in this context."

"Vlad, you've been making comments about these cards that only you understand. I really do believe it would be much better if you told us what they meant before inserting any side notes."

"Oh- sorry. This card kinda means to emotionally step back. They won't even try to get involved with you, it'll be... detached. They'd actually be _leaving_ love behind in regards to you, as if it's not even a possibility. Maybe-" Vlad tried to take the card back, but was stopped by Lukas, he took it back and set it down on his lover's cross.

"Keep going," he said. Vlad gave a small nod and peeled another card from the top of the deck.

"Your greatest fear and doubt is feeling powerless or the feeling of being trapped that a relationship could cause. Against a loved one you could never make a move and you know that, so you try to distance yourself from people." Vlad and Arthur began to fidgit.

The reading was growing increasingly personal and what was meant to be a fun pastime was beginning to tear down Lukas's walls. The worst part was that Lukas was denying none of it. In fact, he was bearing it with an emotionless expression, not even so much as flinching as it all came to light.

"Their worst fear or doubt will be a deepening attraction. As for what influences the both of you: loss and a goal," he mumbled, laying each card on the cross respectively.

Vlad lay a final card between the two. "Despite the odds, the future of your relationship will be wholesome, satisfying, it'll make you feel complete," he said with a sigh.

He felt himself smile at the outcome and looked up to find Lukas staring pensively at the twin crosses that lay before him. Finally, as if satisfied with something, he nodded and looked up.

"Thank you, that was... _enlightening_ ," he said, turning his attention to Arthur. "It's your turn."

"Wha- I didn't agree to-"

"You approached the table, which means it is now your turn," Lukas stated, as if it were the most natural thing and not a rule he had just made.

"Very well," Arthur said with a huff, snatching the deck from Vlad and shuffling and splitting it. When he handed it back, Vlad got to work.

"Currently, you feel like you're competing, right Arthur? An endless tug of war with your brothers, and maybe even yourself. You don't really know which you is the real you and you just hope that things will go back to the way they used to be. When things were simpler, within yourself and with your brothers. In your relationship, you would provide your partner with something close to a purpose. They would feel as if they had suddenly become whole.

"They are hoping for the simple joy of having those around them there, and overall of just being with those they care about. It seems to be because of a burden they are bearing that makes that difficult to have. This person can help you move past whatever doubts or worries you have and maybe be able to help you understand yourself a little better."

Arthur scoffed at that. If he couldn't understand himself, what would some stranger know? Nevertheless, he listened patiently to the rest of his reading. Beside him, Lukas regarded the cards with a creased brow.

"To you, they will be your jack of clubs: A charismatic romantic who loves easily and wholly. He'll talk your ear off, though," he said with a small laugh. "To him, you'll be the jack of spades. A bit of a tribute to your old self, I think: Rebellious, dedicated, outspoken. I think it suits you," he said with another light laugh before he moved on.

"You'll be attracted to him from the moment you see him and he'll think you were too good to be true. As for your fears and doubts, you're scared you'll lose another loved one like all the others and he's scared that everything he knew will disappear or be proven a trick.

"You do everything you do because you know a decision has to be made, no matter how difficult. You have a practical way of thinking and it was the choices you made that make you continue. You don't want your decisions to be in vain, so you do everything you can to make up for the losses you gained from those decisions." Vlad gave him a sympathetic smile, to which Arthur responded with his own small, reassuring quirk of his lips.

"They are motivated by their guilt and worries... that keeps coming up. I would assume something happened in their past that has taken a toll on them now. Either way, it seems to be what drives them. And~ finally, the future relationship will be-" Vlad cut himself off as he set the last card down, unable to contain a fit of giggles that escaped him.

It took him a few minutes to recover, as every time he looked back he began to laugh again.

"Looks like you'll finally be able to get laid, Arthur!" He said through his laughter.

The man in question turned several shades of red before he slammed his hands onto the table and stood. "W-what nonsense are you spouting now, Vlad?!" He stuttered out.

Vlad recovered enough to finish his reading. "The future of your relationship will be very... _satisfying_ and _pleasing,"_ he said before he broke into laughter again.

Arthur's face reddened more than they had thought possible as he began reprimanding Vlad. Lights began to flicker dangerously and furniture began to quake and some even lifted themselves off the ground. Lukas looked around calmly, before focusing his attention back on Arthur's cards pensively.

"What the bloody hell makes you think I'm a-a virgin!? I'll have you know I had my fair share of partners when I was younger and I am by no means a prude-"

"I'll trade you," Lukas said, finally looking up from Arthur's cards. His serious tone made Arthur pause in his rant and shift his attention to him.

"Wha- take them!" He said, before storming off. Tables, books, and tables came crashing down as the lighting steadied.

* * *

Alfred lay flat on his stomach. His gun was cocked and loaded with blessed bullets aimed at the creature that traipsed cautiously through the foliage on awkward, distorted limbs. Its body (it was no longer identifiable as either gender) had become an ugly, rough, and scaly gray. Its hands appeared to be more like claws, and feet were awkward stumps. The face, however, was the most horrifying part: The whites of the eyes had gone a sickly yellow, while the iris had turned a wild red. Teeth had yellowed and sharpened, while others had simply rotted out; The nose had grown large and sprouted warts.

This was a full fledged witch. One who had signed the devil's book in blood and allowed the yellow bird to drink from its finger. They had exchanged everything for the power that made them even more dangerous. When they had nothing to lose, they had everything to gain, and most sought out immortality, mainly by sacrifices of unbaptized children every solstice. Some simply lived for the destruction, the darkness spreading inside them with their growing power.

Alfred shifted slightly, trying to get into a more comfortable position. They all waited for Gilbert to give the signal; They wanted a clean kill, no useless tumbling around. He looked up to the trees where Gilbert was perched, then just across from himself where Mathias crouched behind a boulder. He was also watching Gilbert, waiting for the small flick of his wrist that would set them into action.

There it was.

Mathias fired first, a stunning bolt of electricity that caused the creature to writhe and howl in pain, then came Gilbert, who knocked the witch to the ground and made quick work of cutting off the tongue and hands to keep it from cursing any of them, and tying what was left of it's body in purified restraints that caused the pained screech to grow louder.

Alfred sometimes thought the man got some sort of sadistic joy out of doing so, which was a little off-putting, considering he was married to his younger brother. In any case, Alfred came next, aiming his gun and firing point blank between the eyes. The thrashing stilled and an eerie silence came over the area, as it always did with the anticlimactic kill, but it was swifter than it could have been.

They had been ambushed once, Mathias getting taken out before he could stun anyone, Gilbert kicked off the tree and onto his back, and Alfred nearly getting his head twisted clean off. Luckily, he'd had the good sense to fire back at what was holding him, and then to at least throw his spare gun to Mathias, which had made them a little more even. After that it was them dodging curses and spells, or deflecting them with their blessed guns, and the witches trying to escape as they slowly turned them to Swiss cheese. _That_ was a fight. A damn good one, too, although his brother would disagree from the number of bruises and scratches they had, but no one was fatally cursed or wounded, and there were 4 less witches to worry about in the world. Then, like now, the body parts would be gathered and burned to keep the witch from returning to the vessel and to purify the body.

It was the worst part, the smell was putrid and the crackle of the skin as it roasted was sickening. It was things like this that had them hunting witches in their earlier stages, when they were still human-looking, for the most part.

The difficult thing was that while magic wasn't banned, witchcraft was, and sometimes it was difficult to tell where one stopped and the other began. The signs would show slowly, but by the time they did, it could already be too late, or too difficult.

Alfred's brother practiced magic, that was no secret, but he focused mainly on healing, protection spells, and counter curses. It was when you tried to control other people, like love spells and voodoo, that you started stepping into dark magic.

Matthew had been watched with a close eye when it was learned that he practiced magic, and it was actually Gilbert that was assigned to keep him in line. It was obvious how _that_ went; It took all but two weeks for him to be the only thing Gilbert talked about, and a month for them to have officially started dating, to Alfred's utter horror. He'd protected his little brother all his life, only to have Gilbert, probably the most reckless person he knew, next to Mathias, swoop in and ruin all his hard work.

It had been a year and eight months and it still made his skin crawl to see them kiss or hold hands in front of him, especially having seen the things Gilbert had been capable of on their missions, and Gilbert made it a personal challenge to make him as uncomfortable as possible to be around him and remind him that they were... _intimate_.

They stood in front of the flames, watching as the body burned, and waiting until nothing was left but ash.

"Wanna get a drink after this? I think we've earned it. We've been tracking that one for months." Mathias said, stretching his arms above his head. The fire died out as it had nothing left to burn. Alfred threw holy water over the ashes and scattered them with his foot.

"Nah, we gotta get back. Boss man says he has another assignment for us."

"You have another assignment?" Gilbert looked up, hearing that detail for the first time.

"You mean you're not doing this with us?" Mathias asked, quirking a brow. "Weird for him to separate us."

"Maybe he thought Gilbert would be too loud for this one, probably blow our cover. Sorry, bro, this one's for the _stealthier_ hunters," Alfred said with a cocky smile.

Gilbert smiled right back before he turned and began walking away. "Perfect, gives my awesomeness more alone time with Matthew, if you catch my drift. If you think _I'm_ loud, you should hear him while I'm fucking him. You wouldn't think someone as shy and quiet would be _that_ loud."

Alfred drew his gun. It may have been intended for witches, but it was a bullet, just the same. Mathias pushed his arm down.

"Don't take him so seriously, Al." Alfred and Mathias regarded each other for a moment before Alfred sighed.

"You wouldn't be so calm if he was talking about your brother," Alfred grumbled, clicking his gun back in his holster. Mathias snorted at the comment.

"Yeah, right. I'd really like to see him try and get a leg over Berwald. He'd first piss himself before he got it up enough to even entertain the thought of him unloading." Mathias laughed out.

He had a point.

Berwald was a giant of a man, taller than Alfred, barely shorter than Mathias, and just as strong. He was intimidating, to say the least, and only went on the most difficult assignments with his "wife," who Alfred always remembered to be half his size, if only because he seemed so harmless. What he lacked in height and muscle, he made up with incredible aim when it came to his trusty old sniper.

If Gilbert had somehow been suicidal enough to try to mount Berwald, or even seduce him, he would have been gunned down in seconds.

"All I'm sayin' is, no one would know. Gilbert's reckless as all hell. It could easily be considered an accident, Mattie would mourn a few months, then find someone better. Someone who he deserves and who wasn't a total asshole," he said, kicking a rock.

"You only hate him 'cause he's sexing up your brother. You and him got along just fine before that. Besides, you already tried shooting him once- it didn't work." Alfred scoffed.

"I need no other reason to hate him, and Mattie's not here to save him this time."

"The cards we're dealt, dude. I like my brother-in-law," he said with a shrug.

"But who could hate Tino?"

"Good point. Anyway, what do you think we're doing next?"

"Not a clue. Can't be anything big, considering it'll be only the two of us-"

"Hey! If you two are done gossipping like a bunch of girls, get a fucking move on! No wonder you're still single, you're practically women. Especially you Mathias, you spend more time on your hair than Elizabeta!" Alfred couldn't help the small laugh that escaped his lips at Gilbert's statement. Mathias, however, had reacted the same way Alfred had to the statement concerning his brother.

"You're right. No one would know." He aimed the gun at Gilbert's head in the distance and closed one eye to magnify his aim. Alfred nudged him; they were too far from the sight of the burning. If anyone in the organization investigated seriously, they'd know, he thought sadly. It looked like Mathias caught onto his line of thought because he lowered his weapon with a disappointed sigh.

"Another successful hunt! The Awesome trio has just completed their 174th successful kill!" Alfred hollered as they sauntered into the base, high-fiving their colleagues as the three men made their way through the halls. A few, like Antonio, Feliciano, and Bella congratulated then on their success, while others, namely Lovino, Roderich, Elizabeta, and Ludwig rolled their eyes.

"Matthias, Alfred, I'd like to see you in my office," Ludwig said, turning away and making his way there with the two in tow.

When they had reached the dull, utilitarian room, Ludwig motioned for them to have a seat. It was making Alfred a little antsy, usually they were given a folder and thrown out.

"W-What's up? Why are you just asking us two?"

"Because I'd rather not get on your brother's bad side." Ludwig straightened some papers on his desk, then looked away, clearing his throat.

"What do you mean? What does this have to do with Mattie?" Alfred asked, sitting a little straighter.

"Yeah, you're not really making any sense, man," Mathias groaned, leaning back in his chair. He was more of a straight to the point kind of person, and Ludwig's aversion was starting to annoy him.

"You are aware that the winter solstice is coming up, right?"

"'Course."

"So, what? You want us to go on a hunt, clear as many out before then? 'Cause as much as I'd hate to say it, we'd need Gil for that-"

"No, nothing of the sort. I already have Tino and Berwald, Toris and Feliks, and Antonio, Lovino, Bella and Lars working on that. What I want from you is something a little more... unorthodox."

"... Meaning?"

"Get to the point, dude. I gotta make sure Gilbert isn't fucking with my brother... or fucking my brother," Alfred said, grimacing.

"I'd like you to... _infiltrate_ , in a sense, a small coven that is rising to power." He placed three pictures in front of them. One of a man with chin length brown hair, a suspiciously red-ish eye color, and an arrogant smirk that showed a single pointed canine. The one in the center was of a man with choppy sandy blond hair, brilliant green eyes, and thick eyebrows scowling back at him. The last man was one who wore no expression, with wispy, pale blond hair, dull indigo eyes, and overall, delicate features.

All three were good looking, to say the least, but Alfred didn't understand what this had to do with them.

"You got it all wrong, man. Neither one of us can infiltrate a coven. I've tried magic–it runs in my veins–and it hates me. As for Mathias, his family doesn't have a single sorcerer, or whatever, in the lot. Mattie's your man for this kind of thing- in fact, I'll go get him for you," Alfred said, standing to leave.

"That isn't the kind of 'infiltrate' I need, exactly. Sit down, Alfred. This particular coven isn't looking for new members," Ludwig said awkwardly.

Alfred slowly returned to his seat and exchanged a confused look with Mathias.

"The winter solstice is coming up and I want to make sure this coven isn't planning to do any harm, to themselves or others, and for that, I need you to get as close to them as possible." Alfred gave a frustrated sigh.

"Meaning?!" Mathias sat up abruptly in his chair.

"You're trying to pimp us out!" He said with an amused cackle. "Dude, I am in, but which one am I in?" Ludwig turned several different shades of red, cleared his throat, and began yelling, in that order.

"Do not be so vulgar, Mathias! This is a serious assignment, and you don't have to be-" he took a deep breath and rubbed his temple. "You only need to be as intimate as it is necessary with any one of these boys to gain the appropriate information."

"Don't even trip, I'll get you that information in a week tops. Oh! and I got dibs on this one" he said, pointing to the dull eyed man.

"Wait, you're not serious, are you? Because as much as I'll deny it if you tell Gilbert, I'm more of a romantic, and boning some random guy for info isn't my style-"

"You _don't have to sleep with any of them,_ " Ludwig ground out through gritted teeth.

"Well you were expecting us to do something if you didn't want Gil to come."

"That's all I had to say. Get out. You will be granted separate living quarters, you will not be allowed to meet with one another in front of your target unless your two targets meet while you are in their company. As far as you know, you two are total strangers. I'll give you your information later today, you can start whenever you're ready."

Mathias gave a mock salute and walked out of the office with a new bounce in his step. Alfred sent Ludwig an incredulous look before he followed Mathias out.

"Why are you so excited about this?"

"'Why?' Are you serious, Al? This is the coolest mission we've gotten. We get to leave this place, probably some extra spending money, and our whole goal is to fuck some info out of a hot witch. This is the least amount of work we've had to do. The real question is: Why are you so against it?" Alfred hesitated for a moment, closing and opening his mouth.

"B-Because it's wrong? I mean, they're not technically witches, yet. They're still people and we're fucking with their emotions. We could be totally wrong in our assumption and they could just practice magic like Mattie."

"Oh, I get it. It's that it could've happened to Matthew am I right? Or, actually, it's kinda what did happen to Mattie."

"What do you mean?" Alfred tensed. He stopped and held Mathias in place by the arm.

"Dude, you can't tell me you never thought of it? Ludwig probs got his bro to sweet talk yours to see if he wanted more power or just to dig out shit. You don't tell anyone as much as you tell a partner, not even family."

"No- I mean... Ludwig wouldn't do that. Not to me, not to Matthew." Mathias's face grew concerned as he looked down at Alfred, but he didn't pursue the topic any further. He realized he probably shouldn't have brought it up in the first place.

"Whatever, man. By the way, weren't you in a hurry to keep them away from each other?"

"Shit! Yeah, man, see you later!"

* * *

 **I finished =w=.. or started? Whatever, anyway, this is my first M rated story, second story overall and if you read my first one, I am a lot more vulgar in this one XD? This will mainly focus on the magic trio, awesome trio, and Matthew :D! This will have explicit content, so this is a heads up, if the M rating wasn't enough XD.**

 **I did use an actual card reading and the actual meaning of cards, but obviously I picked the cards that went into each slot. It's a little weird, I feel like I've just revealed the whole plot with it XD? I don't even know where I'm going with this. I hope it won't be too long? The updates will be super messy, though. My classes require a lot of reading this semester ._.**

 **Anyway! What do you guys think so far :D? I will finish the other story in a bit, I just can't stand to look at it right now, I've read it over and edited it at least 20 times OAO. It's had, like, 4 different endings by now XD!**

 **side notes (because I learned a lot of what I will mention here in a witchcraft, religion, and the supernatural class):** **Guess what? So, I added the little thing about sacrifice on a whim and then I was like that's not right, so I decided I WOULD see what different pagan and polytheistic religions did on the winter solstice and they _did_ sacrifice. What luck! The story can go on.**

 **The event was performed both by the Romans and the Scandinavians and was a lot like Christmas with gifts and festivals and light-hearted celebrations. It was meant to mean rebirth that occurred, which was the coming spring. The sacrifices were meant to remain in the gods' favor and maintain a good harvest :D!**

 **Of course, whether Christian witches have anything to do with the solstice is beyond me. I don't take them all too seriously, they're just a mean interpretation of pagans to me, but what do I know? Anyway, I'm basing THAT part on the "rebirth" aspect of the winter solstice~.**

 **The quote at the beginning is a Nietzsche quote with a bunch of different translations, but pretty much the same meaning. As for the title, spells are more efficient when they rhyme, for some reason?**

 **For the thing with the devil's book and bird, that's actually what the first woman accused of being a witch in the Salem witch trials described happened and what they based their interrogation off of~.**

 **Reviews make me write more frequently :D?**


	2. Chapter 2

"So, what? Are we expected to wander the town until we find them and then begin flirting, or-?" Alfred groaned. He and Mathias were currently making their way down a wide, cobblestone street towards the bustling crowd of vendors and assorted stands in the distance. At least, Alfred was. Apparently, Mathias was planning on wandering the whole town.

"Didn't you read your report?"

"I skimmed," Mathias said, sending him a bored look.

"I'm sure you did. Anyway, we're supposed to go to the witch's market," he said, pointing to their destination.

"Didn't know there was such a place?"

"There isn't, it's what it's been dubbed. It's supposed to be a simple street market, but it's one of the only places where they sell a wide variety of herbs, candles, incense, spell books, and weirder things. I come all the time with Mattie. Oh, yeah, he asked me to give you this," Alfred said, reaching into his pocket and fishing out a small, purple cloth pouch.

Mathias looked it over. "What is it?"

"A protection charm," Alfred stated simply, pulling out his own worn pouch. "I told him we would be away for a while and he got a little worried, so he made you one, too."

Mathias raised it to his nose hesitantly, and sniffed. "Oh, it smells nice."

"I think it's the lavender. Mattie put a shit ton of herbs in there, I think he said lilac, lavender and basil, and some other things, but I got bored and don't know what else he said. Anyway, he said to keep it with you. I don't think anyone will think much of it if you have it." He tucked his back in his pocket and Mathias did the same.

"So, uh, what does this protect me from?" He asked, patting his pocket.

"I- shit... I never asked, but I haven't died yet, so it must work against something?" Mathias scoffed, but Alfred held his stance.

There had been too many close calls that could have ended with himself in a body bag, but didn't. Either he had some stupid good luck, or Matthew's charm was for more than an air freshener. Mathias didn't challenge him on that, though, getting back to the topic at hand.

"Whatever, dude. Hey, you remember I called the pretty one, right? 'Cause mission or not, I'll kick your ass for any 'accidental' flirting."

Alfred snorted in response. "He looks like he'd kick _your_ ass for any 'accidental' flirting. Nah, I'm almost totally sure he's ace. You might as well have gone after the one with a boyfriend."

"Hold up, which one had a boyfriend?" Alfred stopped walking and looked up at Mathias, thinking for a moment that he was messing with him, but when that confused look remained on his face, he groaned again.

"You're a fucking dumbass. I thought you at least skimmed."

"I did... only for Lukas, though," Mathias stated, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He didn't seem to mind Alfred's insult in the slightest, trying to recall what he _had_ read.

"The red eyed one has a boyfriend," Alfred clarified.

He felt the strong urge to abandon Mathias when he saw his brows furrow in an attempt to remember something again. He'd be on his own. If he failed, at least he wouldn't be killed on a mission like this... probably.

"Well, shit- you get the one with the huge eyebrows, then," Mathias finally stated with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Fuck off." Alfred began walking again.

"Hey, man, you can totally steal a guy away from his boyfriend. I believe in you. You're sexy as fuck," he said, throwing an arm around Alfred.

"Get off'a me," he yelled, shoving him off. "Go do what you're supposed to do already. We weren't even supposed to come together."

"Fine, fine, but hey, don't forget there's always plan B and that I believe in you," Mathias slapped his shoulder and disappeared into the crowd. He was much taller than most people and his hair added a few inches, which allowed Alfred to keep track of where he was.

He heaved out a sigh and casually made his way into the bustling crowd. Around him, brightly tarped stands were stacked full of vials, empty and full, herbs, candles, books, incense, oils, ceremonial knives, quartzes and jewelry he was sure had some hidden use behind it.

He knew Matthew loved coming here. It was a free for all and he often spent up his weekly allowances and had to ask Alfred if he could borrow money to finish his purchase. Later, he would sneak a good number of things into the base under his and Alfred's clothes because of the strict regulations: Any spellbook containing potentially harmful spells would be confiscated, along with black candles, but Matthew had assured him that both could be used to their benefit, and he didn't believe Matthew would hurt anyone, anyway.

As Alfred continued to make his way through the market, he happened to notice a large, leather bound book. It was the same book he had seen time and time again with his brother. He knew Matthew wanted it, and that there was no hope of him possibly sneaking the book into the base due to its size. It was something every person practicing magic should have, he had told him. It was a place to store spells, and one that held them in return. It was also used as an outlet for any thoughts and the like.

He stopped in front of it and picked it up. It was smooth and heavy in his hands. He noticed a small man beside him sorting through crystals, clearly dissatisfied, out of the corner of his eye, but was too enraptured by the detailed carvings that lined the covers to pay much mind beyond disinterested acknowledgement.

"Three hundred gold pieces," the man behind the stand said. Alfred looked up in alarm.

No wonder Matthew had never bought it. It was almost all of his monthly allowance and would have left him with little for food. Hell, it was more than he had even made when he started off. For someone like Matthew, who didn't put in much work, it might have been his whole allowance.

He was about to tell the guy where he could shove his 300 gold pieces and his book when he paused. Matthew had been denied a coven, proper tools, and even the most intimate aspect of magic. He must have been lonely all that time, unable to really talk to anybody. At least he could give him this. He would just rip a book cover off of something else and paste it over. Who would suspect that _he_ would bring such a thing into the base, anyway?

With an annoyed huff, he fished out his pouch. He was given a larger amount of money than usual, anyway, and his housing was taken care of by Ludwig. The man sent him a slimy smile as he was about to pass the money over, but a slim hand stopped him.

"300 gold, isn't that a bit steep?"

"Stay out of this, Kirkland," the man ground out, all the fake friendliness washed out of his expression. The man beside him met his gaze with a mocking defiance.

"We both know how much you overcharge beginners. You tried to get me to pay you 500 gold for a book of lower quality than that. Why don't you and I come up with a nicer price for this gentleman, hm?"

"You're out of your mind, that book is worth every gold piece."

Alfred looked between the two in confusion, a small part of himself registering that that was the man he was looking for.

"Wait, what?" He waved him off.

"It'd be a shame if... I don't know, a storm blew away all your trinkets. You'd be bankrupt wouldn't you?"

"You wouldn't do that-"

"Of course I wouldn't, I never said I would." He turned to Alfred. "Did I ever say I would do anything to harm this man?" Alfred dumbly shook his head no. "See? It'd just be a happy coincidence. Well, happy for everyone else, not you."

"I-I'll report you to the Organization." Alfred flinched at the mention of that, half expecting the man to turn to him, but he never turned away from the man's challenging eyes.

"For what, if I might ask?"

"The malicious use of magic!"

"That's witchcraft, and I'm not a witch. You have no proof." Seconds went by that the man opened and closed his mouth, but didn't say anything.

Arthur took the book out of Alfred's hands and inspected it innocently. "Might I ask the price of this item?"

The man's face reddened in anger and his nostrils flared. He looked like a charging bull to Alfred, but Arthur held his ground. "187 silver pieces," he snarled. Arthur gave a low whistle and traded the book for the coins in Alfred hands, fishing out the exact change and handing them to the man. With that, he turned Alfred around and pulled him away as the man began to shout obscenities at him.

"You and your cocksucking, devil-worshipping ass are banned from my stand, Kirkland! You hear me, you little bitch!? Try fighting me without any of your damn fairy shit, I'll kick your ass!" Arthur walked beside him nonchalantly, not even acknowledging that the man was saying anything, while Alfred kept his head down, flinching at each insult. Once they were a while away, Alfred pulled him to a stop.

"I- uh- thank you. You saved me a lot of money," he laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

Arthur scrutinized him for a moment, expression neutral. He looked him up and down before he finally spoke, looking away.

"Not a problem; I just happened to be there."

"I'm damn lucky you were," Alfred said, waving the book. Arthur turned back to it, before looking up at Alfred.

"Are you a beginner?"

"What- oh! No, this isn't for me, it's for Mattie." Arthur raised a brow.

"Mattie?"

"My brother. I'm Alfred, by the way," he stated, holding out a hand, while handling the large book with the other.

"Arthur... Have we met befo-" Arthur cut off, freezing at the sight of something, but before Alfred could turn to see if the man had come after them, Arthur pulled them into a small alleyway. He pushed Alfred further in and stood at the entrance, peering out.

Alfred cautiously stepped forward and looked out over his head, only to see Gilbert and Matthew walking down to the main area, where a man was currently entertaining the crowd for tips. They both wore their uniform.

Alfred couldn't help but sneer at the sight. There was no way Gilbert was letting Matthew buy all that he had wanted. Matthew was always more reserved in his talk of magic around Gilbert because of the man's close mindedness. He'd been born and raised within the thrall of the Organization. Anything remotely insidious, or with dual purposes or uses were bad to him.

He wouldn't help Matthew sneak anything questionable into the base, he probably wouldn't even allow Matthew to entertain the idea of any new objects, only the standard items allowed by the Organization. This was probably more a chore than anything else to Matthew, he thought, holding the book closer to his chest.

Arthur quickly noticed his look of repulsion. "Damn awful, aren't they? Strutting around as if they ran the show, especially now that we're closer to the solstice. With their growing numbers it's become nearly impossible to avoid them." Alfred watched Gilbert and his brother disappear before he turned to Arthur, processing what he had said.

"I thought you said you weren't a witch," he finally managed. Arthur shrugged carelessly and left their hiding spot.

"Well, not a Christian witch. I am a Pagan witch, though. Those stupid members of the Organization don't know the bloody difference. All magic is bad magic to them, even if there are hundreds of varying forms. Of course, the most scandalous is what sells to them. Hunting us like wild animals. Did you know that they have been targeting my family for generations? I wouldn't be surprised if I were on their bloody registry. It's a miracle none of us have been shot down." Arthur made his way towards the less crowded parts of the market, not once looking back, as if he expected Alfred to follow, or simply didn't care if he did. Alfred couldn't really tell if he liked him or not, to be honest.

"You're ... a witch?" He asked, jogging up beside him.

"A _Pagan_ witch. Hereditary witch, if you want to get into specifics." He froze for a moment, before catching up with Arthur again, looking him over for any of the distinct marks, but finding nothing on his flawless features. If the Organization hadn't sent him after Arthur, he wouldn't have had the mildest suspicion. He was, well, pretty was the only word that was going through Alfred's mind, he dressed normally, if not a bit prudishly, and he overall didn't give off the vibe a witch did. He couldn't wrap his mind around the news clearly.

"What the hell's the difference?!" Arthur glared up at him, not liking his tone, or maybe that he was asking at all. Alfred quickly realized he was no good at making heads or tails of what the man was thinking.

He cleared his throat and spoke in a condescending tone, as if to a child.

"A _Pagan_ witch draws their magic from the world around them and the different gods and goddesses. We don't make deals with any sort of devil and we certainly don't sacrifice people. We don't need to, we're born with our abilities. Your Christian witches are the only ones so barbaric and stupid. Magic can be harmful or harmless in anyone's hands, witchcraft or not."

"Then why is it still legal at all?!" Arthur scoffed.

"Haven't you heard? The king's husband practices magic. He simply set the witchcraft rule and established that stupid organization to appease the people. A curse can be done by anyone, not just a witch. All that's needed is a name." Alfred found himself at a loss for words.

He didn't know what to think of Arthur. He had seemed kind enough, but now he was talking about cursing people as if it weren't a problem. He didn't even know if he should have considered him a witch and taken him out then. Or rather, he did.

The answer was 'Yes, he should have.' He had threatened to use magic against a man, revealed himself to be a witch, and had proven himself capable and willing to do harm to others. And yet.. he couldn't find himself willing to reach for his gun.

Finally, Arthur spoke again, dragging Alfred out of his conflicting thoughts. "Of course, that would be black magic and there's always that threefold business that I'd rather not be in the receiving end of, in regards to a harmful spell."

He turned to Alfred, as if expecting him to say something, but all Alfred could produce was "The queen practices magic."

Arthur's brow creased in confusion before a smile spread across his face and he began to laugh. "Is that truly all you could take from everything I had just told you?"

Alfred's face reddened as he began to stutter, trying to find a reasonable response within himself. "W- This is my first time even being _involved_ in any of this! I came here for a book," he said, waving it around, "and suddenly I'm being told that the _queen_ is a magic user, there are a shit ton of different magic styles, and that anyone who I have _ever_ told my name to can curse me. That's a little overwhelming, and not exactly comforting. I happen to _introduce_ myself with my name."

Arthur looked him over once before he nodded, satisfied with his answer, although Alfred wasn't really sure what he had seen to excuse his response.

"Don't worry about it too much, I would need your full name and I only have your first name. You, on the other hand, have heard both my first and last name. It looks like you have the advantage if things ever get... _bad_ between us."

"No! I mean, I wouldn't, how- why would I?! There's nothing someone can do to excuse a curse," Alfred blurted out.

He would have kept trying to convince Arthur that he was incapable, both physically and morally, when a certain look came across Arthur's face as he responded with "I can think of a few things."

The look wasn't cold or angry or malicious, but it was enough to stop Alfred in his tracks. It was distant; almost sad; almost nostalgic. Just as Alfred was going to say something, _anything_ , to change the topic, a figure rushed past him and grabbed Arthur's arm, startling him out of his trance.

Apparently, Arthur wasn't sure what was going on, either, but he did recognize the man, and now that he was turned toward Arthur, standing before him, Alfred did, too: It was Lukas, although he looked much more annoyed than the stoic picture he had seen of him would have made seem possible.

"We need to go," he said in a curt tone that left no room for questions or opposition.

Arthur lifted a brow, then turned to Alfred, who simply shrugged. Just as he was beginning to tug Arthur away, rapidly approaching footsteps could be heard, and a figure pushed past Alfred.

He opened his mouth to ask the person what the hell their problem was, but quickly stopped himself as he recognized Mathias.

"Christ, you're fast," Mathias stated, out of breath and hunched over.

Alfred barely managed to catch himself before he groaned at Mathias's stupidity. He mustered up the best confused look he could and watched the scene unfold.

Before him, Lukas looked more annoyed than he had ever seen anyone look with Mathias— even Berwald when he got shit faced at his wedding— and Arthur was looking him up and down with interest, something that didn't totally sit well with Alfred.

"Is he bothering you?" Alfred asked Lukas. The man blinked a little confused, then gave him a quick once over.

"Yes, he is." Alfred turned to Mathias.

"Look, man, you're gonna have to get lost, he doesn't want anything to do with you."

"I didn't mean him any harm, I was just trying to return something he dropped and he booked it, okay?" Alfred raised a brow, then turned to Lukas and Arthur, who were both equally confused.

Mathias had his hand balled in a fist and opened it to reveal a silver cross clip. Lukas's hand quickly went to his hair, where it hung loose.

"I-" Mathias stepped forward and deposited it into his hand.

Lukas tensed as their hands touch, but other than that, no real reaction was evident. Arthur, on the other hand, looked surprised.

"Thank you," Lukas finally said. Mathias nodded and walked away. Lukas watched him get further for a moment before he went up to him, leaving Alfred and Arthur to watch as they spoke.

From Mathias's expression, the conversation was going really well. He laughed, smiled, and all around looked like he'd won the lottery. Lukas, on the other hand, looked like he was dearly regretting his decision. With a final nod from both of them, they went their separate ways.

"What was that?" Arthur asked as soon as he returned.

"I've decided to accept his invitation of a date," he said, looking as if he'd tasted something unpleasant. Even still, the way he looked when he said it didn't distract or devalue his elegant beauty. For a moment, Alfred felt a bit of jealousy towards Mathias. Enough that he didn't stop himself before he said something stupid.

"Because he returned your hair clip?" He asked with a sarcastic tone. He winced and quickly tried to defend himself, especially now that Arthur was regarding him curiously. "I'm sorry, I don't even know you. I just- I mean, seeing him chase you down didn't leave a very good impression, but I have no place to say anything." Lukas sent him a cold look that made Alfred flush and look away.

"... Right," Arthur said, trying to interpose to relieve some of the new tension. "Lukas, this is Alfred. Alfred, this is Lukas."

"Is he-?" Lukas looked him up and down, but didn't finish the question, although Arthur seemed to know where he was going because he answered with "I think so."

Lukas nodded and held out a delicate hand for Alfred to shake, and he took it lightly, as if hoping not to break the man. He seemed to notice, but said nothing about it.

"It was a pleasure, Alfred, and thank you for your concern, but we have to be going." With that, he turned and walked away, not even waiting for Arthur, who paid it no mind and directed his attention back to Alfred.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Alfred. I- would you happen to have a pen on you?"

Alfred raised a brow in confusion, but secured his book under his arm and dug around in his pockets and pat his clothes in search of one. His search was not in vain, as he had tucked a pen into his jacket at some point in time, although Alfred couldn't recall with any certainty when that was.

He uncapped it and outlined spirals in his hand until the ink came out and handed it to Arthur, who took his other hand and began writing something.

When he was done, he put the cap back on and handed it back to Alfred, walking away with only a secretive smile. Alfred watched him go for a few seconds before checking to see what he had written on him. When he saw, he couldn't help the excited whoop he gave at the sight of the seven numbers printed neatly onto his hand.

His mind ran through everything he would talk to Arthur about, when he would see him again, how green his eyes were, and how long the average waiting time was before he could text him, or call, or- anything, just- _hear_ from him. He was brought back down to earth when a small voice in the back of his head reminded him why he had made contact Arthur in the first place.

"Right..." he mumbled to himself before turning and walking back the way he came. Now all he had to do was go to his temporary home and wait.

Just as he was passing by a small space between two buildings, he felt himself get pulled in.

Alfred easily broke free, held Matthew's book securely with one arm, and threw a punch with the other before realizing he recognized the pained groan.

"Fucking hell, Al, the fuck is your problem?" Mathias muttered, checking to make sure his nose wasn't broken.

Alfred was about to apologize when he realized the hypocrisy of the question.

" _My_ problem? Since when is it fucking okay to pull people into an alley?!"

"Look, you don't need to bitch. I wasn't going to _do_ anything to you. You're not my type, and I don't get off on that sort of thing. Just wanted to see how it was going for you." Alfred scoffed, but held up his hand to display the blue numbers on his palm.

"Nice!" Mathias said, high fiving him.

"I'm just that good. What about you? How'd you steal his hair clip?"

"How'd you-"

"I've known you most of my life, Mathias. You're not the type to wait for an opportunity, you're the type to take one," Alfred said matter-of-factly. If Mathias took any offense to the implications, he didn't show it. Instead, he sent Alfred a mischievous smile.

"I didn't steal a damn thing. I paid some guy to do it and hand it to me," he shrugged.

"Of fucking course," Alfred said, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"Lay off, Al. Not everyone's as much a goody two shoes as you. Although, I do see that you've bought yourself something very taboo. Care to share?" Alfred tightened his grip on the book and met Mathias's playful look with a hardened one of his own.

"It's for Mattie. He deserves at least this much. It's my fault he's living like a caged bird, so it's the least I can do." The man's expression softened and became more serious at Alfred's tone. He, of all people, knew how much Alfred cared about his brother, and never did anything to put either of them at risk, despite knowing what he knew.

"Don't worry, I won't rat him out or anything. He's a good kid, I know that, but you should be careful." Alfred released some of the tension in his stance and nodded slowly.

"You should be careful, too. If Lukas finds out you've been playing him... he just doesn't seem the forgiving type."

"Don't worry, Al. I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself," he teased. Alfred scoffed, but knew Mathias at least appreciated his concern.

"Whatever, man, see you... whenever," he said, walking away.

Mathias nodded and turned to walk out the other end. "Yeah, take care."

* * *

 **Oh, fuck all. I hate keeping track of that many characters at once. This is going to be much more annoying later on when I inevitably put all of them, Vlad, and probably the two little bros in the same room. I mean... that should happen at some point, right...? Whatever, I'll cross that bridge when I get there XD.**

 **I feel the need to say that this fanfic was inspired by the Dark Horse amv by Kayla Joshlin. Not really the order of the pictures or what goes on in them, but mixing the song with the magic trio XD. It killed me the first time around. I was like I NEEED THIS. So I did this ._. Anyway, yeah~. The lyrics do a pretty good job of describing what's up with the characters. Of course, I wasn't going to name the story dark horse, because I have no clue as to what she means by that, but the rest of it is fine. Not exact, though.**

 **I have the 3rd chapter written and stuff, but, like, I don't wanna post it right away because if I end up getting distracted for a month (as I'm prone to do) that can at least be my backup, ya know? I am working on the fourth one right now, but I won't post the third until I'm done ._.**

 **Notes:**

 **So, there's a huge variety of witches that fall under the term "pagan witch** **." They're mainly Wicca or polytheistic earth based religions.**

 **A hereditary** **witch is pretty much one that inherits their magic, traditions,and the like. Traditions can vary between families and I'm gonna be totally honest, this is just me cheating a little** , **but, also, I just feel like those three should come from a long line of magic users.** **Anyway, hereditary witches tend to stick together as family units, but... well, Arthur couldn't really do that.**

 **As for the book Alfred got Matthew, that's a** **book of shadows. Hella expensive sometimes.** **I've also seen it get called a grimoire, sometimes? I guess it depends on who you ask. The uses for the book differ.**

 **There are times when there is only one per coven where they record rituals and stuff like that in a really messed up way so no one can copy it and a totally separate one for each individual where they can write down divinations, astrological signs, information on herbs and spells, and other stuff. I had also seen that some of these would include information on how to act if you'd been accused as a witch and were taken to trial.** **A grimoire, to be more specific,** **used to be something that kind of... instructed the witch on how to do several different things, and specific instructions for rituals, spells, charms, and invoking the supernatural, making amulets. Overall an instruction manual for that magic thing you seem to have.**

 **Anyway, they've kind of become meshed, so it really does depend on the witch, and Alfred has said that it holds the instructions of a grimoire, but has some pages for Matthew's own use, whatever that may be.**

 **Also, I am using a 1 gold=10 silver= 100 copper system! So, yes, Alfred is fucking loaded right now. People really want witches dead and will pay SO MUCH to have someone get rid of them, so the Organization is hella well off, too. Not to mention it's a government organization, so aside from the money they get from the kingdom, they get paid for those jobs.**

Reviews:

yourFAN (guest): THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT! I've had this story written (at least, the first three chapters) for about two months and had been planning to publish it for the longest, but i was super unsure about it. It was a style a little out of my comfort zone, but I was absolutely exhausted that night and rereading it and I guess I ended up posting it on a stupid whim XD! The next morning when I checked my email, Omg, I _screamed_ , but then I saw your review and I was like okay... maybe I shouldn't delete it, I'll try it and see how it goes. But, anyway XD! Yeah, your review really meant a lot to me!

EspejoNight28738: THANK YOU! Ugh, I know, the story is covered in the smell. Like, the amount of shit that can go wrong in this story is killing me XD. DUDE, I KNOW! I FUCKING LIVE AND BREATHE FOR DENNOR! They're so- omg, I can't. I hope I don't ruin it for you XD! I've hardly ever touched this pair or even dared to because I feel like I'd mess it up, but I couldn't resist! I'll try my best, though!

 **Also, shout out to PruCan Sam. I don't know who you are, but your username is fucking fantastic, I love it XD!**

 _Reviews make me really happy~ So do favorites and follows~_ _Please? My birthday's Monday XD?_


	3. Chapter 3

" _Alfred, I didn't expect to hear from you so early on. I assume you have made progess?"_ Alfred snorted in response, reclining on his bed, an arm thrown across his forehead as he looked up at the ceiling.

After his enlightening... _talk_ with Arthur, he didn't think there was much premise to their current assignment. If what he said was true, and he didn't find much doubt in himself, then they should busy themselves with more important matters.

"Way more than Mathias."

" _Yes, I heard his target was rather... hesitant to even speak to him."_

"Poor guy tried to lose him in a crowd. I don't blame him, if he hadn't decided to go off first _I_ would've ditched him there. Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk about. Arth- the target assigned to me said that their form of magic wasn't harmful, and I didn't really find any marks to prove otherwise. A gradual descent into that sort of damnation would have left a noticeable change in physical appearance and, quite frankly, he looks good. I think this is a dead end," he said, sitting up with a small noise of exertion. He had intentionally left out the part where Arthur had admitted to being a witch, for his own safety.

He had a point. A witch was a witch in the eyes of the Organization, and he wouldn't doubt that Matthew would have been targeted the same if he hadn't proven his loyalty.

" _Hmm... I'd still feel safer if you kept an eye on them. It could be a form of glamour, but those spells don't hold up long, so try to occupy his time for as long as possible."_

"Not to be rude, dude, but that's stupid. I mean, why a glamour? Those spells are basic and easy to see through. I _don't_ think there's anything wrong with the guy. Let's just end this now before we fuck something up."

" _You will follow orders, Alfred. If that is all you had to say, then-"_

"It's not." He paused, trying to find a way to phrase his question. He heard Ludwig give an impatient huff on the other end. "Did you... did you tell Gilbert to sweet talk Mattie? I mean, you sent him to _watch_ _over_ him, and next thing I know, they're fucking. Mattie isn't the type of person to grow so attached from nothing. He's shy.

"Gilbert must've done something to draw him closer. I don't know- flirt, drop hints, _something_. I just want to know if you ordered him to do it. He's my brother, you should at least understand that I want to protect him." There was no sound on the other line and Alfred felt himself becoming more frustrated.

He would have appreciated honesty, after all, things worked out relatively well; Matthew was happy, Gilbert treated him much better than he gave him credit for, and at least he hadn't led him on. They were married for fuck's sake. But after a long silence, Alfred was almost completely sure Ludwig had hung up. Just when he pulled the phone away from his ear, he heard Ludwig speak.

" _He was only to find out what he could of Matthew's intentions and how far his want of power went. He was by no means asked to seduce your brother."_

"But we both know what that means, right? It's the same fucking thing you told Mathias and I to do."

" _Alfred-"_

"Look, forget it, I'll call you if there's an update," he said and hung up without giving Ludwig a chance to speak again. He stood from the bed and began pacing the room. He didn't know what he wanted to hear; what he _expected_ to hear.

Mathias had told him, or at least suggested it to him, he only wished he had noticed it sooner. Maybe even noticed it when he just began. He would have stopped him; he would have taken Matthew away from there. His thoughts built up and he gradually became angrier.

Ludwig had lied to him, Gilbert had lied to him. Two of the people who he saw _every day_ , who could look him in the eye and claim they were his friend.

Maybe he wouldn't have cared if it had only affected him, but Matthew was innocent in all this. He didn't deserve to be toyed with. He had only joined the Organization to appease Alfred. He had put himself at their mercy, had been the object of suspicion, had been ostracized for his use of magic, and on top of all that, the one joy he was able to achieve was a lie. It made Alfred want to rip his hair out, to hit something; _someone_.

He grabbed the closest thing to himself (a rather unfortunate chair) and flung it at the wall where it splintered and exploded off the wall. He made to grab the other chair when he steadied himself. Too much noise would have the other residents asking questions and calling the authorities and he didn't want to deal with that. Nobody else deserved to be hurt in his rage. It wasn't _their_ fault.

He didn't know what to do. For the first time in a while he felt... lost, unsure. What was he supposed to do? He was against this assignment to begin with, and knowing all that he knew, he didn't think there was a point. Even still, he couldn't really find it in himself to never see Arthur again. He was honest and smart and strong and good looking. He was incredible, and was able to carry himself with a distinguished pride, despite what others around him accused him of or thought of him.

He made up his mind.

He took a deep breath, pulled out his phone, and started dialing again. It rang a few times before anyone picked up.

" _Yes?_ "

"Hey! Arthur, it's Alfred. Listen, I- well I actually had a really good time with you today and I was wondering if you wanted to hang out, or go out. Whichever you want, I'm game!... Or, I guess if you don't want either that's cool, too, I mean, we didn't really know each other for very long. I was actually kind of surprised you gave me your number at all- Anyway, I'm beginning to babble, so I'll stop there and, um, yeah." Alfred felt a heaviness in his chest as he waited for a reply. He was busy mentally reprimanding himself when he heard a light laugh on the other end. He quickly pulled himself out of his self loathing and listened closely.

" _It's quite alright. Entertaining, too,"_ he said, laughing breathily. " _When_ _did you say_ _you were thinking of going out?"_

"O-oh. I uh, guess I didn't. How about tomorrow?"

" _Hmm.. with the solstice coming up_ _I don't think I can-"_ There was a lot of shuffling about on the other line and a bit of shouting before another voice came through.

" _Tomorrow's good. So are most days, actually. He doesn't do much but read and complain. Lukas and I can take care of the preparations for the solstice, he needs an excuse to keep busy, anyway. He'll meet you at 2 in the afternoon-_ " Alfred struggled to keep up with the rapid speech of the man, who was most likely Vlad, from what he knew from his file. He quickly gave the address, making Alfred scramble around the room for a pen and paper.

Just as he had finished, there were more sounds of a struggle and Arthur's voice came through this time, although it sounded like he was arguing with someone, but his voice sounded close, so it must have changed hands again.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Alfred teased, a smile spreading across his face as he heard Arthur splutter indignantly. In the end, all he said was an " _I-I suppose"_ before he hung up.

Alfred put his phone down with a small smile, before he noticed all the damage he had done and grimaced. Still, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. He'd clean it up in the morning.

Alfred flopped back onto the bed and stared at the phone in his hand. He found himself feeling giddy, despite his end goal and his conversation with Ludwig, but he quickly caught himself. It's not like it was a real date. Not really, he was just extracting information, or, that's what he was _supposed_ to be doing. Suddenly, he was curious over Mathias's date. He had assumed that Lukas 'having to keep busy' was to avoid Mathias.

Ludwig hadn't restricted _all_ contact, right? He had just said that they couldn't be seen together, at least, that's what Alfred remembered and what he was sticking to.

He quickly found him in his contacts and waited as it rung once, twice-

" _Hey, Al, what's up? Did you call him? How'd it go?"_

"Damn good," he said proudly. "I got a date tomorrow. What about you?"

" _Uh... You were right, he's a pretty hard catch. I managed to get a phone number to set up a date, but he's not answering. It might just be random numbers, and I'm not going to try again just to sound like a dumbass to the poor bastard I call."_

"You should stop talking, if you don't want to sound like a dumbass, man. Otherwise, it's too late. So, what are you gonna do? I mean, you seriously got absolutely nowhere?" He laughed to himself, but Mathias completely blew off his insult.

" _Yeah! At one point he was so distant I thought he knew what I was there for! Whatever, I'll try again tomorrow. I'm almost totally sure my cover hasn't been blown. By the way, I saw Mattie and Gil today. Your brother totally waved at me, you think-"_

"Step off my brother, man. I swear to god, I'll kick your ass if you try anything. Gilbert's one thing, but-" Alfred stopped.

Gilbert wasn't _one_ thing. He was _everything_. He was an asshole, close minded, reckless, and he took advantage of his brother to get the information he needed. Even Mathias was better than that. "You know what? You totally have my blessing to go after Mattie."

" _Shit, I was just joking. The kid's cute, but if I wanted cute, I would've tried to step in between Tino and Berwald. What happened? You're usually more or less okay with them."_

"You were fucking right. I asked Ludwig, he said he 'was only to find out what he could of Matthew's intentions and how far his want of power went,'" he said, mimicking Ludwig's voice. "I just... don't want to think Mattie got screwed over. I mean, now that he's _married_ to Gilbert he's watched almost 24/7. His stuff is Gil's stuff. He hides his magic junk in _my_ room because he doesn't want him to find it. I mean, you don't think the marriage was just... an extension?" He asked, creasing his brows.

In any other case, he wouldn't have asked Mathias. He was usually too uncaring to pay attention to most things. He _was_ pretty smart, but he had the tendency to act like a dumbass to the point that, even with his qualifications, he wasn't given the title of team leader.

" _Has Gilbert ever fucked with your brother before?"_

"No."

" _Has he ever made him cry, or sad?"_

"Well, no, but-"

" _Al, I'd never seen either of them as happy as they were at their wedding, and Gilbert's a shit actor, okay? Not to mention that absolutely nothing could tie him down before then. He doesn't cheat because whenever he's not with us on a mission, he's with your brother. I know you don't want to acknowledge it, but I think they actually love each other. It may have started out bad and he may be limiting Matthew's freedom with his magic, but_ _have you ever considered what_ would _happen to your brother if they found him with all the stuff you sneak in for him? Gilbert's been in this business longer than either of us, he's probably seen it happen before."_

"Seen what?" Alfred asked, nervously.

" _A member of the Organization get burned alive for being a traitor, which is exactly what would happen to Matthew if anyone knew. Look, Al, you two just have different ways of caring-"_

"They- that wouldn't happen to Mattie. They wouldn't do that to him."

 _"Why not? We're here to fight the plague that is witchcraft, no matter where it surfaces, especially within our ranks._ _Look, man, nobody has found out before, nobody will now. Even if you're not there, Gilbert is. He'll keep him safe, so just- focus on your assignment, okay? It's pretty late, so I'm turning in for the night. Don't think about it too much, goodnight."_

Alfred held the phone to his ear, long after he no longer heard anything on the other end, lost in his thoughts.

He couldn't think. Not about a single thing, anyway. Everything was coming up at the same time: Arthur, Matthew, his parents, Gilbert, Ludwig, the Organization, magic, witchcraft, the queen, every witch he had killed. It made him dizzy how easily all those thoughts swirled around in his head in brief flashes:

Matthew clung to him, the two of them only a few years old, their home in ruins as they hid in a rotting old cellar that smelled of musk. Screams that wormed their way through the small space between the doors, then the sounds of guns, footsteps, the trembling fear as the door was torn open and figures in uniform appeared and carried them out.

The faces were a blur, then the whole thought was as he recalled his welcome to the Organization. Himself and Matthew were baptized to avoid further complications, he was told. After that followed his harsh training, the exhaustion, his first kill under Tino and Berwald's watchful eyes, his first team, both men older than him. His reassignment into his current team was as unceremonious as passing a baton, and the welcome was equally cold. There were no introductions, he was just told to follow orders and slowly pieced together profiles on the two men.

Meanwhile, Matthew was found to be an inadequate fighter and was trained to be a priest, or should have been, but the scripture didn't sit well with him, neither did the baptism. He was sick when Lovino told them it wasn't his calling. That their God refused to accept him. Alfred didn't know what that meant, but he did now.

His own gods had chosen him, whichever branch that was, and the baptism and religious practices worked as well as trying to exercise him of his very soul. The two simply weren't compatible and that scared Alfred. There was only one religion the Organization would acknowledge, only one god. Matthew would have been cast off, or even killed if Lovino hadn't intervened.

As the eldest of the Organization's two priests, he was the highest religious authority. Alfred didn't know if he had lied, or if it was true, but he told them that Matthew should have been kept alive, that He had commanded it, and so, Matthew idled through a few years in the Organization's ranks, helping where he could.

That is, until they had gone to the market and he felt attracted to a small spell book that he talked Alfred into buying him.

Alfred's thoughts suddenly shifted to Arthur. If he could have, would he have helped Matthew? Could he have taught him what he didn't know? Would they have gotten along well? Alfred paused again. Why was he thinking like that? It didn't matter at this point. Alfred and Mathias would look further into their situation, they would either find them guilty or innocent, and after the solstice, they would kill them or never see them again.

Suddenly, that sounded a lot harsher than usual to Alfred; It didn't sit well with him and he couldn't think of a way that things would turn out okay. He didn't want to think about it anymore. He turned off the light, performed his nightly routine, and willed the thoughts away as he submerged himself into a deep sleep.

* * *

 _Alfred slowly became aware of rhythmic panting just beneath him. He felt his body moving and an intense, pleasurable heat around his_ _dick as a spontaneous fog suddenly cleared and he saw Arthur writhing and moaning beneath him, wrists pinned above his head. He felt himself buck harder and faster into the tight heat as Arthur's cries became more erratic; each word that came out of his mouth was his name and he was intoxicated by the sound._

 _He felt a part of himself coming up with a ridiculous explanation as to how they had come to that situation, but he completely disregarded it, focusing on the incredibly tight heat, the painless scratches dragging down his back, and the pale, unmarked figure beneath him._ _Arthur's eyes were hazy with lust, yet their toxic green shone through clearly and beautifully. His plump lips were parted as he panted, his body jerked with each thrust. His golden hair darkened with his sweat and clung to his face, enveloping it and accenting his red streaked form._

 _Alfred hooked a leg onto the bend of his arm and thrust harder as he bent down to kiss the entrancing form when Arthur's eyes suddenly had a look of fear. He tried to pull away and began screaming, trying to fight Alfred's grip. Alfred quickly dropped his leg, but his other hand was locked onto Arthur's pinned arms as he continued to struggle._

 _"Arthur! Hey, what's wrong? Did I hurt you? Arthur?!"_

 _"Well done, Alfred." Alfred turned at the sound of a familiar voice and saw Ludwig standing behind him, looking satisfied._

 _He looked down at himself to find that he was fully clothed in his Organization uniform. The incredibly white clothing appeared radiant in the dark surroundings._

 _"What do you-?"_

 _Alfred turned to find his hand gripping Arthur's neck as the man was tied to a wooden post, barely conscious and bleeding._ _He quickly let go and ran behind him, trying to undo the ropes, but with every knot he attempted to undo, he strengthened until he heard Arthur begging and crying._

 _"I'm trying!" He screamed in frustration, pulling on the ropes with his bare hands. Around him, there was an applause that echoed through the room, but no visible figures._ _It steadily grew louder, until all he could hear were clapping and Arthur's panicked screams. Suddenly, a fire roared alive, pushing him back, and engulfing Arthur's body._

 _He registered his pained cries and the smell of burning flesh, but couldn't completely acknowledge it. A part of him even felt proud of it._

 _"Looks like you finished your mission," he heard Gilbert say._

 _When Alfred turned, he saw another figure burning, one that he knew all too well. "I did, too," he said, nodding towards the wooden beam, where Matthew stood tied, noiselessly accepting his fate as tears ran down his face. His head was pressed against the post, turned up, with his eyes squeezed shut._

 _Alfred slowly approached him, and, as if hearing him, Matthew opened his eyes and regarded him with a hateful look. "You did that to him," he said, signalling to the burning figure beside him._ _Arthur's skin, pale and gleaming only moments ago was now a sickly red and black, his brilliant, green eyes saw only, and showed only, the flames, and his golden hair had blackened._

 _"You did this to me." Alfred turned back to see Matthew's skin burned off, revealing muscle that was slowly charring._

 _His once sweet face was horrifying to look at and he let out a single, blood curdling scream as he disappeared altogether_.

* * *

Alfred woke up with a start. He was sweating, making his clothes and hair cling to him, but he had no time to think about that as he ran to the restroom to empty the contents of his stomach into the porcelain bowl. His mind repeated flashes of the burning forms, the screams, and the panicked look on Arthur and Matthew's eyes, as well as his own satisfaction, and he continued to heave long after he had nothing left to throw up.

After being unsuccessful in simply willing it to go away, he stumbled back to his room, and picked up his phone with shaky hands.

 _5:34,_ it read. Still too early for him to be awake. His finger hovered over his contacts before he quickly scrolled through and clicked on his brother's name. It rang for a few moments, but someone quickly picked up.

" _Al? What are you doing, it's 5 in the morning,"_ he heard Matthew groan sleepily, barely beyond a whisper. His voice was thick and his words came out as slurred, obviously having been woken up by the call.

"H-hey, Mattie, I- sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up, I just... I wanted to check up on you." He felt his voice tremble despite himself, and he could almost see the concern on Matthew's face as he spoke next.

" _Al, are you okay?"_ There was movement on the other side and he heard the click of a door close.

(Matthew had probably gone into another room to keep from waking up Gilbert.)

"I- um- It's stupid, I just had this dream and it shook me up a little. Actually, there's something I want to talk to you about, can... do you think you could sneak out to meet me?"

" _Now? I think so?"_ He said with a tone of uncertainty, but Alfred knew he would at least try.

"Meet me at the tavern by the market, okay?" Before Matthew could ask him any more questions, he hung up, releasing a loud sigh. He rubbed his tired eyes before realizing he was missing his glasses and stood to look for them and get ready.

 **I'M 19 NOW OAO FEAR ME.** **In other news...**

 **Have you ever paid attention to getting hurt while you're sleeping? It's like when you're playing a video game and you get your ass kicked and you subconsciously say 'ow' at least, my brothers and I do XD. Like, you acknowledge that there's supposed to be pain, and you react as if there is pain, but you didn't feel a thing .-.**

 **Anyway~ oddly enough, the problems in this story are getting resolved pretty quick and I actually don't know what the main conflict is- or rather, I do, it's Alfred's choice between his morals or his allegiance to the Organization, but I dunno, to me, it seems pretty simple what someone like Alfred would choose, and yet I don't really know how im going to make him go about choosing it. I think Gilbert, being in a similar situation, was fortunate enough to be able to choose both because Matthew was equally loyal, but Arthur really isn't?**

 **Whatever, sorry, I'm talking too much about this, and I think it's only for my own understanding XD.**

 **Anyway, for anyone mildly curious as to what Mathias and Lukas are up to, I will be writing, but in Lukas's perspective because I can't imagine myself ever knowing what really goes on in Mathias's head XD. You know what I mean? He's outwardly very slow, but has the makings of a leader in a way similar to Alfred's, but still somehow unique, like, more mature? I understand that this is my characterization, or interpretation, but I haven't got a clue.**

 **Anyway! Sorry about that XD.**

 **Side notes:**

 **Christianity and pagan religions did not get on well AT ALL, (if the wars and persecution weren't indication enough) actually, a lot of pagan spirits were later mimicked in the form of malevolent spirits and their rituals made barbaric.**

 **Actually, you know that goat looking version of the devil? Yup, that was a pagan deity. His name is Pan and he was pretty nice? I mean, the people liked him, and he was really just a god of fertility, shepherds, and music. He was usually depicted as playing a flute prior to his demonization by Christianity.** **Modern pagans (neo-pagans) have depicted him more as woods god?**

 **Anyway, the stark differences between Christianity and pagan religions were both violence and sexuality, which is why many pagans were hesitant to convert and also why as much as I feel a little out of place _writing_ smut, I can't exactly ignore it because it's an actual aspect of paganism. (I'll suck it up and try my best, though XD!) Pagans were simply far less conservative and having sex with ONE person and only after marriage was a little... unappealing. Sensual pleasure was something enjoyed by the gods, and nothing to be ashamed of in their religions and they had a hard time accepting it as a sin.**

 **ALSO!** **This disgust and repulsion with their** **sexuality and "lust" was carried into many religious beliefs such as that of the incubus and succubus, which were pretty much nymphs and woodland deities that were also demonized! Another example is of what witches were accused of doing and why they were so... immoral? I mean, I've heard a bunch of things, but one of the main things was really weird orgies and sex with the devil :0.** **Even still, Christianity did adopt several pagan holidays corresponding to several important dates on the pagan calendar and just kinda stamped Jesus over it.**

 **Pagan religions were polytheistic and believed that nature held a great deal of power, a lot like the modern day Wicca, which is said to be a surviving descendant religion of paganism.**

 **Also, witches were burned to purify their bodies or something like that, but I think I might have mentioned that a while ago.** **Also, a glamour spell is one that changes the user's appearance to whatever they want. I mean, some species of Fae folk can cast it, I couldn't have possibly made them considered a super high level spell XD.**

Review:

guest: THANK YOU :D! Look, I did!


	4. Chapter 4

**Lord, help me. I think I actually failed a class.**

"Hey, Al, c'mon, it's okay. I'm right here, alright? Nothing's gonna happen to me. I haven't done anything wrong, and neither have you, and neither has Arthur. We'll all be fine, okay? You know Gilbert wouldn't hurt me, right?"

For the past hour Alfred had recounted his dream, his worries, his mission, and his thoughts on Arthur while Matthew sat in front of him and listened quietly. The sun had already come into sight and people were beginning to bustle around town, while the drunks that had collapsed last night were beginning to stir awake and wander out, dazed.

"Mattie... can I ask you something?" Matthew tilted his head, but slowly nodded.

"Sure, Al, anything," he said, laying a comforting hand on his brother's arm.

"Did... did you- do you know that when Gilbert was watching over you he was instructed to do the same thing I'm doing now? I mean... he was supposed to do whatever it took to get you to talk." Alfred rubbed his eyes and gave a bitter laugh. "Every time I think about it I get more pissed off. You should have let me shoot him. He was using you, taking advantage of you, and you protected him. I mean, do you ever think he married you... out of guilt?"

Matthew slowly pulled his hand back and placed it on his lap, starting to fidget. Alfred opened his mouth to try to take it back, feeling an immense guilt take over as he saw the tender smile drop from Matthew's face, but he knew whatever he said, he couldn't erase the thought. It was a long while before he looked Alfred in the eyes again.

"I do- _did_. Lovino told me what he might have been doing when he first started watching me, and it was weighing on my mind for a long time, so I asked him for a divorce a year into our marriage."

"You... you never told me."

"I didn't want to worry you or turn you against him. Al, you need to stop being so protective. I can take care of myself now," Matthew said, clearly trying to derail Alfred's train of thought. Alfred almost took the bait and told his brother why he needed to be protected, but he shook that urge off and pursued the topic at hand.

"What happened? I mean, you two are still married, so _something_ must have happened." Matthew sighed, noticing that Alfred had ignored his declaration.

"Do you remember when you were ambushed? I- I thought he would take it better than he did. It was a way out that wasn't his fault. It was an easy escape. I mean," he paused, wrinkling his brow as he directed a distant look downwards. "That's what it should have been. He wouldn't feel guilty, he would have done all he could to make up for what he did to me and I would have been the one to pull away. It... It didn't work out like that.

"He was confused, then he was angry, then frustrated, and then he was just... quiet. I told him I just didn't want to anymore. Next thing I know, I hear that you three were attacked, so I talked to him after you left.

"He told me everything; I told him I knew and he just... apologized. He kept apologizing, but he said he didn't want it to end. I didn't want it to, either. Not really. Al, I want you to understand that he's important to me, okay? I know you don't like him, I don't really know why, but I do," he said, raising his eyes to Alfred's.

Alfred regarded him for a moment. There was an intensity in his eyes that his timid nature didn't usually allow. He even met Alfred's gaze with a challenging one of his own. In the end, Alfred let out a defeated sigh, but sent his brother a small smile.

He didn't want to control Matthew, and he couldn't take things away from him simply because he didn't like them, even if that thing was an arrogant, tactless hunter like Gilbert. It could be worse. _He_ could be the one that had married the man. Alfred grimaced at the thought of it, but shook his head clear of those thoughts.

"I want you to be happy, Mattie, and if he makes you happy, then you have my blessing. Just- tell him to stop describing your sex life. I can acknowledge you have one, I just don't want to think about it too much," he said, his face contorting in disgust.

Matthew laughed, and Alfred knew he shouldn't have brought it up. "What's wrong, Al? You jealous?"

He groaned, but couldn't help but to laugh, too.

"Mattie, I can a hundred percent say that I would rather die than be in your... _position_."

"Al, I can 'a hundred percent say' that you're dying to be in _any_ position," Matthew countered with a mischievous smile.

His brother had been corrupted, Alfred thought briefly with a hint of horror, before acknowledging that his pride was under attack.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?!" Alfred cried, slamming his hands on the table.

"It means you need _it._ Too bad you can't find anyone willing enough for it." Matthew laughed.

"Hey! I'm fucking hot, and I could have sex with anyone I wanted to. I have simply decided to wait," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Get real, Al! You're just a prude pretending to be a romantic because you don't know how to use what you've got," Matthew said, laughing harder at the indignation and reddening that showed on Alfred's face.

"And you only take it because you don't know how to give it!" Alfred yelled back, directing attention of several passerbys to them.

Alfred was almost completely sure that _that_ was what made Matthew blush, not his actual comment, but it was still a victory in his eyes. Matthew was stiff under the attention, but still managed to respond in a harsh whisper.

"Then maybe you should be in my position, too!" It was Alfred's turn to laugh, this time.

"Just because you get knocked on your back easily doesn't mean I do, Mattie," he replied cheekily. Matthew huffed and crossed his arms, but didn't pursue the topic any further.

Alfred chuckled lightly, relieved at the playful, lighthearted air that their conversation had provided. He felt as if his problems had been washed away, even for an instant.

"What's he like?" Matthew asked, leaning forward.

"Arthur?" Matthew nodded in confirmation. "He's- pretty great. He knows his stuff and he's smart and funny. Oh! and he helped me get you this," Alfred said, pulling out a larger book from his bag and handing it to Matthew.

"A dictionary? Al, I hope you understand that my vocabulary is far broader than yours," he said, clearly unamused and maybe a little insulted as he turned it around in his hands.

"Just open it, Mattie," Alfred said, rolling his eyes.

"This-" Matthew quickly flipped back to the cover and peeled off the jacket that had been stuck onto it. He took in a sharp breath as his hands began to shake and he pulled them away. He looked up to Alfred with tears in his eyes.

"H-how? I mean, Al! These are expensive! I don't want you surviving off of bread while you're on this mission. Look, I'll pay you back and- why did you use a dictionary cover?"

Alfred, who was actually pretty proud about the disguise he had provided gave him a smug smile. "Don't worry about it Mattie, it was cheaper than I had expected and because the only other thing that I could pass it off as was a Bible and nobody would believe you had one of those."

Matthew nodded slowly, then laughed. "I'll place a glamour on it later so that it'll hold up even after the cover comes off. Thank you so much, Alfred, and tell Arthur I said thank you. Really, I- just... _thank you_." Alfred smiled at his brother, genuinely happy that he liked his gift and feeling a lot better than before.

"I should get going, Al, and you should probably try to get in a little more sleep before your date. You look pretty awful; not that you don't usually, but you look especially bad today," Matthew teased.

Alfred scoffed. "I'm the pretty one."

"We're twins, Al."

"Then you look like shit, too; I'm taking you down with me, Mattie."

"I do no-" Both boys turned quickly as a figure came rushing at them. Alfred got into a defensive position, but relaxed when he saw who it was.

"Fucking hell, Birdie, you scared the shit outta me! I woke up and you weren't in bed or in the restroom so I asked around, but nobody had seen you and- shit, don't scare me like that," Gilbert sighed in relief as he pulled Matthew to him.

His face was red from exertion, and he was breathing heavily; he must have run around everywhere trying to find Matthew, although Alfred didn't know how much danger he could have possibly been in out here. True, he was a magic user, but he'd been seen too many times with Organization uniform to be considered a threat by the citizens, and not like he'd ever used magic outdoors. He doubted anyone even knew there was a magic user in the Organization, and so close to the leader, too. No, it would have caused too much trouble for Ludwig. If anything, he was in more danger inside the large facility, where he walked a thin line, but he had Gilbert's protection, at least. Seeing him so panicked, so desperate, reassured Alfred slightly. At least he seemed to care.

Alfred saw Matthew stiffen and look to him as if searching for his approval. He gave him a small smile and looked away. This level of affection, relief, and vulnerability in Gilbert was not for his eyes, but he was glad he had seen it.

Gilbert loosened his hold on Matthew and turned to Alfred, finally seeing him. If he was shocked or embarrassed, he didn't show it. He nodded at him, but made no attempt to speak.

"I should probably go now, Mattie. I got a date later and I can't exactly go looking like this," Alfred repeated. Just as he turned to go, he paused, and turned back to Gilbert.

"Take care of my brother, Gil. I mean it. If anything happens to him while I'm away I will kill you-"

"Alfred!" Matthew reprimanded in exasperation as Alfred completely ignored their previous conversation.

"Don't worry, Al. If anything happens to him, you have every right to kill me. Hell, I'd kill me if it wouldn't make it so easy." Alfred raised a brow and looked the man up and down before nodding.

"You're my brother now, I'll try to trust you like one."

Gilbert stiffened, shocked to hear that after months of tension and near, and actual, fights. He recovered from his shock and nodded his agreement, sending Alfred a small smile as he did.

"It's good that you two are getting along, but I can protect myself," Matthew inserted, clearly a little offended at being deemed a damsel in distress.

Alfred laughed and walked away with a small wave.

Lukas was lounging on the couch reading with Arthur bustling around him. It was hardly even 9 in the morning, but there he was, frantically trying to figure out what to wear, whether he should eat breakfast, how he should greet Alfred when he came, and a long list of other things that he was very vocal about in his worries.

"Arthur, I assure you that if he found you appealing in what you normally wear, he won't mind whatever you choose," he said, flipping the page of his book.

Arthur stopped, leaning over the counter. "Was that meant to be an insult?" He called, eyes narrowing, but Lukas paid him no mind.

He shrugged. "It could be."

Arthur scoffed and continued running around trying to get himself ready. "Shouldn't you be out with Mathias, or whatever his name was? I thought you two had set up a date."

"Yes, well, I'm having second thoughts. I think I just won't show up. My brother is coming, after all," he said, examining his nails.

"That's rather harsh. If Vlad was right, and I'd hate to admit that I mildly hope he is, that man might be-"

"The love of my life? Please, Arthur, we're not children anymore," Lukas said, regarding him with his signature cold look, setting his book down on the coffee table.

Arthur huffed. "Fine, but you should at least give him a chance," he countered.

"Why? He doesn't even care for me as of now. Doesn't it seem a little odd to you to ask somebody out when you're not willing to _try_ to lo- like them? Why should I even try to make him change his mind about me?" Lukas snarled.

Arthur was no one to tell him what to do, especially not when he would have a happy beginning, middle, and end. He would have a prince charming that would love him "truly and wholly" or whatever the fuck Vlad had said. Lukas had to put up with an asshole who had no interest in him, but who saw something he could gain from him.

He would have to let himself be used, and hold out, but for what?

"Because he'll help you and your brother. You heard Vlad. The ultimate outcome of your relationship with Mathias is a sense of completeness, and I know you'd never feel complete without him," Arthur replied softly.

Lukas's anger flickered as he considered it. Emil had been his whole life. He had raised him after their parents were killed. He had loved him and protected him up until recently when he had decided to go out into the world and had met someone and torn himself away from Lukas. He knew he should have seen it coming.

Emil was increasingly rebellious, not just about Lukas's authority over him, but over his apparent _need_ to practice magic. The one that Lukas had placed within him at a young age to keep their identity alive. He had grown sick of it. He was sick of the insults, the rudeness, the harassment of the villagers at their knowledge of him being a magic user. Magic and witchcraft were one in the same in the eyes of the fearfully ignorant.

"H-how could he even help?" Lukas asked, quietly.

"You'll have to wait and see," Arthur said, deciding he had everything set, and going up to his room after sending Lukas a reassuring smile that he almost missed.

Lukas sighed, leaning back against the couch and placing the open book over his face.

He absolutely dreaded the thought of a date with Mathias, but he hated the cold looks and distance from his brother even more. He hated representing everything his brother wanted to throw away. He didn't know what Mathias could do to help, or if such an annoying person was even capable of helping _anything._

He let out another annoyed sigh. Who even knew if Mathias was the person Vlad had been referring to? He could just be wasting his time and energy, and quite frankly, his patience; He was loud, _overly_ loud, he decided, persistent, and had nothing to say that Lukas would want to hear. His appearance revealed at least that much. Why couldn't he at least get someone who practiced magic and knew the rudiments enough to _not_ tell him he was going to hell.

That was it, he decided. He had no reason to subject himself to such an awful person.

Lukas sat up and pulled the book off his face, setting it down on the table. Just as he was about to pick up the phone to dial, it began to ring. He raised a brow, but answered, anyway.

"Hello?"

" _Lukas! Oh, thank God. I thought I had the wrong number and some poor bastard would have to try to figure out who the hell Lukas was and who the hell I was. Listen, I know we said we'd go on a date, but I was wondering if you'd want to go out today, maybe in, like, two hours?"_ He said, hopefully.

Lukas scoffed in distaste at the man's false eagerness. He couldn't help but wonder what he wanted from him. He had asked him on a date for a reason, but clearly not a romantic one. Maybe he just wanted a hole to stick his dick into. (Quite frankly, he did seem the type, even for his religious alignment.)

" _Lukas? You there?"_

"Yes, sorry. Sure," he responded, automatically.

 _"Great! I'll meet you by the big tree in the center of the market. See you then!"_ Mathias said before hanging up.

He silently cursed to himself as he realized what he'd said. He set the phone down and groaned. He didn't want to get up. He didn't want to go; he felt tired all of a sudden.

Did he even have to? It was in the cards, and maybe he just wanted to push them further along, but what would happen if he didn't? If he told Mathias he'd changed his mind. Would he ever have to see him again?

The preparations for the solstice were important; he could use it as an excuse. He shook his head clear of any and all worries.

He was placing too much importance into the hands of one man. Mathias was insignificant, if only to help him with whatever that "completeness" Vlad was talking about was. He would gladly give Mathias whatever the hell he wanted in exchange for it, he thought. Besides, he wasn't the end goal.

Lukas agreed upon it within himself: If Mathias wanted someone who was nice to look at to keep around him, fine; If he wanted someone simply because of the taboo of magic, fine; hell, he would gladly even take the place of just someone to fuck. After all, when it was said and done, he was certain he wouldn't have to see him again.

He stood and headed to his room to get ready.

He'd be all three if he had to be.

Lukas left for his date first, but not without more second thoughts. He dressed casually and took his time getting there, stopping to look at things he might need to purchase for the solstice, and even picking up a few so that it wouldn't seem like he went out of his way to meet with Mathias.

When he had finally gotten to the large tree, he had purchased candles, quartzes, and oils, all of which focused on renewal, and was about 10 minutes late. A small part of him had hoped that Mathias had figured he wouldn't show and had just gone home, but when he arrived, Mathias was leaning against the large trunk, not looking in the least bit annoyed when he finally saw him. In fact, he looked delighted (probably because he had shown up at all).

"Lukas! Hey, I figured you might have gotten a little backed up. What's all that stuff?" He said, regarding his bag curiously.

"For the solstice," he replied disinterestedly.

"Oh, that's cool. You practice magic? I have a friend whose brother practices magic, but he doesn't do all that solstice stuff. I'm sure he'd like it if he ever had the chance. He's a pretty chill kid, but his husband's not really about it. Anyway, do, like, all of you guys do that solstice stuff, or just some of you, or, like, what's the deal with that?" He said.

All at once.

Not even stopping for breath.

Lukas blinked his shock away and restored his careless demeanor. "I think it's rather stupid for someone to marry a person who doesn't accept your culture. If his husband wasn't interested in magic, he could have found plenty of others who wouldn't mind. And to answer your question: Yes, I do, and the solstice is ceremonial and signifies a renewal, as well as a prayer to the gods to grant you good fortune. It's best to make the offering, as it grants stability in power. They are the ones who provide it, after all, but not all magic users celebrate specifically on the solstice" he said, watching a small bird hopping about in the distance. His brother liked birds, he recalled in the back of his mind.

"Where do you plan to go?" He said, turning back to Mathias, who was watching him in wonder.

"I-I- uh... let's just walk and talk?" Lukas nodded. "I can carry your bag for you, if you-"

"I assure you, I do not require the same dainty treatment as a woman," he spit back, glaring at Mathias.

Of course, the point was a bit moot, as he had to look up at him and acknowledge that the man probably had a head on him, and quite a few inches in terms of shoulder width. A sharp contrast to his own form, which did look rather feminine when compared.

He would've admired the view a little more if he knew he wouldn't be caught and take a closer look at what Vlad had regarded as his _athleticism_ , but there wasn't a chance Mathias wouldn't notice him staring. Besides, he didn't particularly feel like walking into anything in his distraction and making himself look like a love-struck fool.

Mathias only laughed and gave him a playful look. "I'm sure you don't. You look like you could probably kick my ass with a wave of your hand, without so much as batting an eye, but would you really want to turn down a free pack mule?" He seemed to ask a little hopefully.

Lukas couldn't help the small laugh that escaped as he passed Mathias his bag.

"Anyway, I get where you're coming from with the whole acceptance thing, but I'd like to think that the guy's maybe trying to keep the kid safe. I mean, it's not an easy world for magic users anymore. Heard that a group of them were burned alive just a few villages down.

"Kind of stupid, I mean, not like they don't got kids to lose. Hell, weren't they worse off? I mean, ya can't baptize a magic user. I've seen someone try– it didn't go well– and they're always the targets" he said, distantly.

Lukas couldn't say that he wasn't impressed by Mathias's understanding, and even his defense of magic users, but he didn't let his previous sentiments be swayed too easily. Anyone could lie, anyone could do their research. If anything, Mathias had asked if Lukas practiced magic to know where he should stand on the topic.

"It's rather odd that you know that much. Most don't pay it any mind unless it directly concerns them, and judging from that cross around your neck, it in no part should concern you."

Mathias gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Well, see, kid I was telling you about had his parents killed by a witch-"

"A _Christian_ witch," Lukas clarified.

"Yeah, uh, and so he was taken in by a family that tried to make sure he wouldn't be in danger again, so they tried to baptize him, but, you know, no go. Ended up sick to the point where they thought he was gonna croak. Took all that nonsense away from him and it was like he started breathing again.

"'Course, it's kinda shitty that they kept him in an environment different than the one he belonged in, but maybe they thought they could purify him, or something," Mathias shrugged.

Lukas gave a small nod. "How do your gods do it, by the way? I mean, there must be thousands of followers. Having to grant each one with powers? Sounds like a pain in the ass."

Lukas regarded Mathias with a small smirk, "What? Your God can't?" He asked in a voice that was almost teasing.

"Probably just not the kind. A little selfish, a little jealous. Also, I haven't totally been the... _purest_ christian" Mathias said with a wink.

"There are different gods and different followings. It wouldn't be the same ones for each faction. The different gods focus on different areas within a single group, as well. Besides, they're gods. They're infinite." Lukas brushed the implication off, noticing his surroundings again. Nobody seemed to be paying him much mind, like they usually did.

No one was pulling their kids behind them as he walked by, or sending him dirty looks. They weren't yelling the same awful things at him that he had grown accustomed to, and he couldn't help but wonder if that was because of Mathias.

Surely they couldn't have been able to pick up on the fact that Mathias had the same religious alignment, he thought, looking back up at the man, who was talking about something Lukas didn't pay much attention to.

He didn't wave at anybody, and there wasn't even a hint of him knowing anybody.

Maybe it was fear, he thought. He was a man of a rather imposing stature. If he was seen with him they could even be considered friends: A threat to him might be considered a slight against Mathias.

Mathias looked at him expectantly before he realized he wasn't listening. He stopped talking and smirked at him.

 _Shit_ , he'd been staring.

"Like what you see, dove?" He said with another wink.

"No, I was wondering how someone with such a swollen head could say nothing but stupid things. Is there only air in there?" he asked coolly, before turning away and speeding up.

He felt his heart flip at the name, but didn't let himself show it. He was a little curious as to why Mathias had chosen dove. He seemed more the 'babe' kind of guy, which would have made it easier for Lukas to hate him even more, but this one seemed rather... mild. Nothing he could really be angry about. On the contrary, it was kind of- _no_.

It was rude for him to have called him by anything other than his name when they had only known each other a few minutes, maybe an hour, total. He noticed he had slowed down and Mathias was almost at his side, as if he'd let him catch up.

He couldn't very well start speeding up again, it would look ridiculous. He just sincerely hoped Mathias couldn't see through his response. Quite frankly, he had no idea what the man had been saying or if what he said had even fit with the given topic.

Mathias laughed good naturedly, raising his hands in surrender as he reached his side. "I didn't mean to offend, I was just wondering why you would be wearing a cross. It just doesn't seem like something that would go with your religion."

Lukas instinctively raised a hand to his hair clip at the mention of it. So Mathias hadn't noticed his distraction, and now he knew what he was talking about. Two birds, he supposed.

"My brother gave it to me. 'A protection charm' he said. I suppose he was worried; wanted people to think I wasn't a witch. He went off on me when he had seen I had worn it upside down. It's a sign of the Antichrist, was it? I just preferred it on this side," he said with a shrug.

Mathias stared at him for a moment before he laughed. A full, heartfelt laugh that made Lukas's heart soar for an instant. His smile wasn't mischievous, or playful, or flirtatious then. It was just, joyful, genuine.

"You really are something, you know that, dove?" He asked, smiling down at Lukas, who blushed a bit, but didn't turn away.

"It symbolizes the rejection of the Christ, yeah," he said with a soft chuckle. "You have a brother? Older or younger?"

Lukas stood a little straighter at the question. He almost felt like a chess piece. "Younger, his name's Emil."

Mathias hummed. "What's he like?"

Lukas opened his mouth to describe him but couldn't find the words to. To him, his brother was everything. He was his most important person and he couldn't find words to express his adoration or to describe why he loved him, either. It was a feeling, and only that. He thought about it for a moment, trying to find words that came close, aware of Mathias's eyes on him.

"Would you like to meet him?" He finally said.

Mathias seemed to draw back at the question, but he quickly regained himself and nodded eagerly. "Y-yeah! I-I mean, sure. Of course."

Lukas gave a final nod. "Good, I was supposed to meet him in the plaza."

 **Chriiiiist, I hate typing this on my phone, but my dog killed my laptop charger and I haven't had the time or money to replace it OAO. I just went to see how the published chapters looked and I dunno what possessed my phone to clump all the bold together and all the italics together, but I fixed it. Also, I forgot to change eclectic witch to Hereditary witch, but that's done~. I should go check on the updated versions to see what's up, but... I'm lazy right now, I'll check in a bit. Also, this Matthew vs. Mathias business is throwing me off so much. I'm gonna fuck up and y'all are gonna end up reading about Matthew fucking Lukas by mistake and it's gonna be funny and confusing.**

 **Also, I don't know how to squeeze 'Nor' in there as a pet name, so y'all are gonna have to settle for 'dove' because I like it and doesn't have the condescending air of "sweetheart" or the overly tender "honey," "love," and all that other nonsense that my brain refuses to come up with XD.**

 **Side notes:**

 **The upside down cross thing is also** **kind of a shout out to St. Peter who didn't think he was worthy of being crucified in the same way as Jesus so they flipped the cross upside down. It's considered a sign of humility before Christ, but I won't totally reject this as a sign of disrespect against him as it's considered in popular culture.**

 **I mean, people don't wear it in that fashion with St. Peter in mind or any knowledge of St. Peter, ya know? They wear it upside down with the idea of rejecting the sacrifice and that God and kind of mocking them, too. Kind of "you're not my God." It depends on the person and it has a more "not my god" meaning when given to Lukas, especially to the people.**

Reviews:

abcm(guest):

It wasn't belated at all, it was actually early in the morning on the day! THANK YOU SO MUCH! IT MADE ME REALLY HAPPY!

Guest:

That's so nice, thank you! It was actually a pretty normal school day, BUT YOUR REVIEW MADE IT WAY BETTER!

Guest:

Oh, geez, sorry! I just mentioned Christmas to kind of give you guys an idea on what it was like, I didn't mean for any misconceptions. I kinda talked about that later on :D? The extra info was really cool, though OAO! I'm kind of lazy, so I usually just do an overall thing, so the in depth was really neat :0! Especially from someone who practices! My mom and sister practice, too :D! Sorta.. I mean, they dabble, so did my grandma, but nobody worships anything around here XD.

Luckei:

Thank you so much! I just hope I can keep the flow going XD!

 **That's as good as this chapter is getting, I've been editing it for the longest time, and I'm so sorry.**


End file.
